One Piece: Two Worlds
by jonathon12199
Summary: Hozuro, a young fishman, sets off on his quest to avenge his parents and eliminate the pirate scum from the world. At least, that was his plan.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1- A Man and His Journey**_

The bustling sounds of a tavern filled the air. A room filled with lowlifes, waitresses, and down on their luck folk was an everyday occurrence. The town surrounding the tavern was small, but cozy. Enough to hide in for those with someone after them, but not so much to get a feeling of being overwhelmed. The music was a happy sort, something to get people feeling vibrant and alive. All was well. All was normal. Though, normal never lasts for long.

A cloaked figure, about 5 foot 3 inches tall walked in. The cloak was ragged and torn, seemingly used for decades, almost tore off as the end of it got caught the closing door. The figure fought for a moment before finally ripping off the end and stumbling forwards towards the bar counter. They slammed themselves down, a raspy cough coming through. The bartender, a man with a small bit of scruff and some basic muscles walked over, awaiting the new patron's order. A deep, low rung voice called from under the cloak.

_"Milk."_

Confused, the bartender spoke.

"Excuse me?"

Another cough came out, the voice simply repeating "Milk."

Sure enough, the bartender grabbed a jug and handed it over, not really sure how to respond. Not many walked in wanting milk of all things.

The cloaked figure went about himself, chugging whatever milk he could before needing a breath. One would think he hadn't had anything to drink in a couple days. Finally, after the jug was gone, he let out a wheeze and cleared his throat, his low rung voice now replaced with that reminiscent of a child, though maybe an octave deeper, coming out.

"Thank you! I really needed that. I hadn't had any in like 30 minutes."

The bartender looked on, dumbfounded as a voice crack came out on the last word. And even more so when the patron took off their hood, revealing a young, red, freckled piranha fishman was at his bar counter. He stopped wiping his dishes, only to walk over and lean into him, only making out one sentence.

"Are you even old enough to drink, kid?"

"Nah. I'm just 14. Anyways. Have you seen this man?"

The fishman pulled out a wanted poster from under his cloak. On it was a skinny man with a long face, crazy hair, and a small mustache. Certainly out there. He was worth 500,000 berries though.

The bartender looked it over with curious eyes before returning his gaze back to the fishman at his counter.

"Why? Got a bone to pick?"

"I'm a bounty hunter sir. And he has a bounty. So I'm hunting him." A jubilant tone came out, one that seemed to be natural. And sometimes possibly annoying.

"With all due respect, kid, are you old enough for that?"

"Why not?"

And with that last remark, the bartender shook his head as he nodded and gestured towards one of the men playing cards.

"There. He comes in all the time. Causes no trouble. Just don't bother the other patrons. I don't care what you do to him otherwise."

"Thank you!"

The fishman got up and walked over, shoulders held high. He sat down on an empty chair at the roundtable of card players and was dealt a hand. He looked at his two cards and gave a look around to the seemingly curious players. One looked over and laid down his two cards face up, giving an evil eye to the newcomer.

"Go fish." The fishman responded. Once again, all dumbfounded. He looked at them again, confused. "Is that not what we're playing?"

"We're playing poker," the man on the poster responded, standing and obviously angry, "and we'd appreciate you going, fish."

"Only if you come with me." The fishman responded, giving a slight wink as to poke fun. It only created more anger.

"You want to settle things outside?"

"Yeah. Let's."

Both parties proceeded to get up and walk out, the fishman having a smile on his face. He got him out. Now he could do what he was here to do. The two stood across from each other, within a close distance. The man from the poster took out an axe, tongue in cheek.

"I'm gonna have fun slicing you up and making some nice fish filet kid. Sorry you ran into me, Baby Jack, on a bad day." The man raised up his axe preparing to slash down his nuisance, before speaking once more, "Tell me your name so that I can carve it into my good meals list." He followed his last word with a swing bring it down full force.

"My name?" The fishman asked before moving with a smirk as his cloak was left to get slashed apart by the axe. He soon swung from behind with the hilt of a scimitar, one of two, aiming for his opponent's spine. "It's Hozuro Iscariot. Thank you for asking."

The man fell to the ground with a thud, conked out from the blow. His pupils disappeared and his mouth was left agape. Hozuro smiled and laughed a bit before reaching down for his prey. "Ha. Fish filet. That's a good one."

Hozuro reached down with webbed, clawed hands at what was now nothing. He looked down, seeing his target missing. Searching frantically, he looks up at another cloaked figure running across the rooftops and with Baby Jack in hand. He chased after the small, lean figure, calling out all the while.

"Hey! That was my catch!"

The bounty stealer continued, heading for the far end of town. They were nimble, adeptly jumping across the rooftops without any hesitation. And their speed wasn't to be scoffed at. They certainly knew their way around better.

Soon, they jumped down into a side street, out of Hozuro's view. And when he turned the corner, they were gone. He looked around, scanning the area, finding no trace. He took a guess and looked into the bounty office, finding his catch already turned in and the money given to the figure he was chasing.

"What the heck!? Why did you just turn in my bounty!? _MY _bounty!?"

The figure simply walked past to the outside, leaving with the money. Hozuro followed in suite, determined to get a reason or the money. Or both.

"Excuse me, I'm talking to you. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hey. You. Hey. Heyo."

And so continued for about 10 minutes of walking before the figure stopped in irritation and yelled at him. A strong feminine voice come out of the person's lips and long flowing blonde hair drifted out from the hood.

"Would you stop!? It's kind of annoying. I got him and turned him in fair and square. Now leave me alone, will ya?"

Hozuro looked at her, obviously annoyed, but he controlled himself and left well enough alone.

"Fine. Go on about your day. I'll go find another one."

And he just walked off, stepping into a side street and immediately stopping behind the corner. Waiting. She continued forth, exiting town. And Hozuro followed. For the next hour or so he kept hidden, tailing this girl. He'd get his money back.

Soon, she entered a bustling port town full of people and places. She found her through the crowd to a broken down church atop a hill. She entered, and of course, so did Hozuro not having a second thought. He walked in, finding her standing there, hood off, arms crossed, and an annoyed expression.

"You followed me here? All the way here? For an hour?"

_**~End of Chapter 1**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2- A Woman and Her Vow**_

"Well? Are you going to explain yourself?"

The woman stood there, confident and strong. She was certainly beautiful and her hair flowed down across her face. Hozuro was stunned for a moment, but regained his composure.

"Yes. I want my money. You stole my bounty-"

Hozuro was cut off by a tugging at his short sleeve shirt. He looked down at his side to see a small child rubbing their eyes, looking up at him. The child spoke up.

"Who are you mister?"

The child was in tattered clothes and didn't have shoes. His hair was slightly kept, though it had obviously been a moment since he had his last haircut. It dropped slightly over his large, brown eyes which looked heavy indicating him being tired. It was early in the morning. Hozuro put a webbed hand on his head, his red scales glistening a bit.

"I'm Hozuro. Go ahead and go lay back down kid. I'm sorry I bothered you."

The child left Hozuro and the woman to themselves and rejoined his friends, a group of children who were now naturally waking up. Hozuro began scanning the area realizing that much of the original items in the church had been taken out and replaced with beds. A few rows of them, each with a small chest underneath, presumably to hold stuff.

Beyond the beds there was an area of floor littered with toys, all of them ragged in some way. He sighed, realizing what this was now. And why she took the money. He would turn back to her and begin speaking once more.

"I'm sorry miss- Wait. I don't know your name."

She sighed, calm coming over her. She could see he was a good guy, just a little too inexperienced with the world. She could tell he was young. Younger than her most certainly. She began walking towards the back, where someone would give a sermon and where it seemed a lot of books were. She gestured for Hozuro to follow, and so he did.

She stepped onto the stage and stopped in front of a chest, opening it to reveal a small amount of money inside, now joined by the bag of berries she just obtained.

"My name is Luna. I run this orphanage by myself, and as such must also pay for the exorbitant rent by myself. I'm only 17, and because of my dad many refuse to deal with me. It also probably doesn't help that the kids here are all escaped slaves, which means if the marines would come around and prove that, this place would be shut down instantly."

Hozuro listened intently, cringing a bit when he heard the part about them being slaves. He let out a deep breath, looking around at the kids. He only began to feel worse about chasing her down to here. He looked back to Luna, who was now staring at him, awaiting a response.

"I see. I apologize for my actions. I had no idea."

"Good. Now tell me, why are you a bounty hunter? You seem even younger than I am."

Hozuro took a deep breath, deciding how much he would tell her. He did only just meet her.

"My parents were on a trip when their ship was raided by pirates. No one made it out alive. I want to avenge them."

Luna took this into careful consideration. A revenge quest. Those are pretty common, though you never get used to hearing it. A kid out on the sea just looking to defeat pirates.

"Well, do you know who did it?"

"Nope. Me and my brother vowed to kill every pirate in the ocean in order to accomplish this."

This was a big shock to Luna. Every pirate. This would include the seven pirate lords as well, the ones who made up the rules of conduct for pirates. Not to mention, many other pirates who are very strong, and near the same level as the pirate lords.

"Oh really? You do realize who you have basically declared war against?"

"I know. What about you?"

Luna took a deep breath, deciding to wait to start speaking. She needed to collect herself.

"My father was a bounty hunter. He used to always protect this town from pirates, but one day he just up and left. And never came back. I felt abandoned. The town hated me for some reason, because of something he did. So I kept myself away, and eventually opened up this orphanage after taking in a few runaway slave kids. Now here I am, doing what I can to make money and keep the orphanage running."

Luna began writing in a book, presumably keeping track of finances. She let out a heavy sigh and rested her head on her hand. She then looked at Hozuro and gestured toward the main floor where kids were all running around and playing.

"Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. Unless you have somewhere to be, of course."

Hozuro gave her a simple nod, thanking her before walking off and taking a look around the church. He saw that there were quite a few beds, but five of them seemed to be empty. No one staying in them. Yet at least. The oldest kid here could only have been 12 at most. He looked over into the large open play area and saw four kids playing around, likely pretend. It intrigued him so he kept watching, only to find out they were playing pirate. The biggest kid was laughing maniacally, hands in the air like he was on the verge of winning.

"Ha ha ha. I told you puny admirals that you couldn't stop me. Not with all of my strength. Now, I'm going to kill all three of you, starting with you Orange Snake."

The kid on the far right stood up a bit taller, acting like he was quite damaged. He began to speak.

"Ironskull, you won't defeat us. We three admirals will bring you down and end your reign of terror or my name isn't Green Lion!"

The other two stood up with him, raising their fists.

"And don't forget about me, Black Cat."

"Me neither, Orange Snake."

All three of the kids playing pirate reared back their fists, screaming almost in unison.

"Ultimate Admiral Combination Attack!"

They each charged at the big kid, bringing him down as he wailed in a fake agony.

"Noooo! Foiled again!"

Hozuro chuckled a bit, entertained by the kids. They really do have amazing imaginations. He moved along, seeing the other kids playing different games, or chilling out, or just going to Luna for attention. She took care of them, usually just asking for food, before rejoining Hozuro.

"Seems I don't have enough for this month. And the payment is due tomorrow. I don't know what to do. All of these kids are relying on me."

Hozuro saw Luna begin to tear up. She was freaking out, unsure of what to do. She couldn't let it happen. And Hozuro felt bad. He searched through his clothes, finding whatever he could.

"How much are you short?"

"500,000 berries."

Hozuro would feel defeated at that point. He had only 100. He couldn't help. There must be something they can do. A bounty nearby. Something. Then, the church would get rocked with a cannonball, drawing Hozuro and Luna outside only to see a pirate ship coming waving a flag that had a bunny skull with fangs on the bottom approaching the port.

_**~End of Chapter 2**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**~Chapter 3: The Fanged Bunnies Part 1; Luna V. Speed**_

"No. This can't be. Their crew was disbanded years ago."

Luna was in complete shock. Her mouth was left agape at what she was seeing. Meanwhile, cannon fire rained onto the port town, many townsfolk running in fear. The ship neared and the screaming laughter of the crew could be heard.

Hozuro looked at the chaos, unsure of what to think. A real pirate attack. On a port. He had yet to truly experience this. So far, he had only encountered minor bandits who thought themselves bigger than what they truly were.

He took a deep breath, focusing himself on the situation at hand. Now was a time to fight. He looked to Luna, beginning to try and calm her down.

"Well? Ready to fight?"

"Fight?" Luna said unmovingly, "We can't. These guys are too strong."

"What do you mean?"

"They're the Fanged Bunny Pirates. A merciless crew who've attacked this town many times in the past. I thought my father had finished them years ago though. Before he left."

"Apparently not. Looks like they just took an extended vacation. That doesn't matter though. He may not be here, but me and you are. Plus, they must have bounties. Meaning that they will be worth the fight to us bounty hunters. Are you with me?"

Luna thought for a moment. Her entire childhood was her looking up to her dad until he left. He fought these pirates all by himself and won. She wasn't sure if she could do the same. But she pushed away these thoughts and sighed. Now was her time.

"Yeah, I'm with you."

She readied her gauntlet, something Hozuro hadn't noticed before. She aimed down the scope of it, arm straight out, at the port where the pirates were beginning to land. She let loose a shot easily taking out one of them. She was certainly a damn good shot.

Hozuro charged down the hill towards the port, reaching low and drawing two scimitars, his weapons of choice. He grew a bit of a smirk, coming up to a group and easily avoiding the attacks of their cutlasses, dancing around them and slashing them down one by one. The fight was on.

Hozuro battled through the wave of pirates, bringing five down within moments of contact. Luna was behind, not missing a single shot. She kept her distance, not being a close combat fighter.

Both Hozuro and Luna held back that invaders quite well, at least, until a wind rushed past them leaving a cut on both of their arms. Luna turned back to see a humanoid bunny, a mink, standing there with claws raised. He was about her height and had a devilish grin. He opened his mouth to speak, revealing sharpened front teeth.

"Well hello there. So sad to see a pretty lady fighting against me. I never _want_ to hurt them."

"You're in for a rude awakening if you think I can't fight."

"Oh sweetie. I'm sure you're just going to be nothing more than a trifle."

Luna aimed a shot at him firing as quickly as she can. She missed though, unable to read his movements. He zoomed past her once more, slashing her arm again. And then again. He zoomed around her, again and again dodging her shots. He kept slashing her, making sure everyone of them hurt. He would laugh, staring her down from his original position.

"You can't even hit me. This isn't worth it. Maybe I'll just-"

Just then, he was caught off guard by a shot to his shoulder. It nicked him since he moved a bit, but he was hit. Luna smirked from below.

"Gotcha."

"Why you little."

He rushed down, aiming an attack at her before missing and getting a kick to his back. It wasn't strong, but it was a hit. He slid to stop, looking at her aiming her gauntlet at him.

"I just needed to figure out your movements. Now the fight can really begin."

He charged at Luna, claws reared. Luna smirked and dodged around his attack, firing her gauntlet off once again, hitting his back. He turned jumping towards a wall and bouncing off to make a little more of an unpredictable attack. She moved to the right this time, using the small corridor like street to her advantage now.

She was able to keep her opponent relatively close, now using her grappling hook to try and grab him. He kept avoiding these attacks though, the grappling hook being just a little too slow. Soon, his attention was pulled elsewhere by the cry of a child.

"Luna! Help me!"

The mink was grabbed around his leg and thrown into a wall. He got up, wiping some dust off and regaining his balance, a likely concussion having formed. Luna saw his gaze and followed it up the hill a bit to a pirate holding a cutlass to a little girl's throat. One of the orphans.

"We found em boss. They're in that crappy lookin church up there."

The mink smiled as he looked back at Luna.

"Seems our goal is done. I'll be off now."

He launched forward, heading towards the church as another wave tried to push past Hozuro. Luna's face only showed horror, then something snapped. She aimed her gauntlet and let the grappling hook loose, wrapping around his legs before he even knew what happened. She followed by raising her arm up, sending him skyward into the light of the sun before quickly whipping her arm down as fast as she can, whipping him into the ground, knocking him unconscious and leaving him in a dent in the ground. She had won.

Meanwhile, Hozuro sliced down the last of this second wave, a small breath leaving his lips. The pirate dropped to the ground as he turned around to see what Luna had accomplished, which included saving the child and running back towards the church with her. He smiled a bit before getting launched through a few walls a couple streets over.

Luna ran with the child before turning back towards a rumbling, wondering if Hozuro was ok. She saw a hulking behemoth of a bunny charging towards her. It was 8 feet tall at least and beefed out. Her eyes grew wide as she pushed the child along, hoping she would reach the church before the behemoth grabbed her by the face and lifted her, a deep laugh penetrating the air.

"Gotcha didn't I?"

He reared his arm up, the laugh now shaking his entire body and hers along with it. His toothy grin revealed the same fangs that the first had.

Meanwhile aboard the fanged bunnies pirate ship, a man slumped down into a chair. He set a monocular to his side as he let out a sigh. In his other hand was a piece of paper gripped tightly, seemingly a wanted poster based on it's design. He looked out at the battle in the port.

"Of course _she_ has to be in our way."

_**~End of Chapter 3**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**~Chapter 4: The Fanged Bunnies Part 2; Hozuro V. Monster**_

The hulking behemoth, bunny mink held Luna high, laughing hysterically. He gave a last smile before attempting to bring her down into the ground, trying to smash her skull on the paved street. Her body almost ragdolled down, her life flashing before her eyes.

Next thing she knew, she had jerked to the side and was in Hozuro's arm. She took a deep breath and exhaled, looking at Hozuro. He smiled and set her down before turning back to the large bunny man. He cracked his neck and knuckles while walking towards the gigantic bunny.

"I won't let you hurt her. She's my friend and I will protect her."

The bunny laughed, entertained by the words coming from the fishman's mouth. The bunny charged forward launching itself at Hozuro, fist reared back for a punch. Hozuro jumped at the bunny, fist reared back as well and his face having lost that childlike demeanor. He was serious now and ready to beat this thing.

The two fists clashed with an intense ferocity that one could feel for miles. Their eyes met as both looked to punched with their opposite hand, only clashing once more. Hozuro aimed a kick at the bunny's rib, only to be slapped away by its original hand and into a wall.

He climbed out of the rubble, only to see the behemoth coming towards him with another punch. He ducked under the punch, allowing it to fly through the building and through the opposite wall into a separate street. Hozuro jumped back, regathering himself for the second round. He was mistaken about how difficult it would be to bring this thing down.

The beast stepped out from the building, a grin on its face. It tried punching Hozuro, missing as Hozuro ducked under. Hozuro grabbed its arm after dodging, seeing an opening and immediately going for a throw, easily able to lift the monster and launch it towards the dock.

The thing slammed into the ground, crashing and digging a slope into the paved road. It got up, holding its head and staring down Hozuro with an evil eye. It charged at him, its fist reared back for a punch. It made a rumbling the entire time, causing an almost earthquake.

Hozuro charged forward as well, jumping as he got closer to the behemoth. He launched his knee into the large bunny's face as he sailed over its punch. He brought it down and smashed it into the ground causing a crater.

He stepped back and the beast rose once more, Hozuro immediately attacking once more and punching it, putting every ounce of power into it as he could, launching the beast into the air and past the dock, having it fly and land onto the boat that the pirates came on.

Luna was amazed at what Hozuro had just done. That behemoth seemed so strong, and yet Hozuro is even stronger. She called out to him.

"Great job Hozuro! I'm proud of you."

"Thanks! Are you ok, Luna?"

"Yeah, I am. Just a little bit of pain from that first fight."

"Think we got them?"

Luna would finally walk to Hozuro and stand next to him, looking out to the water. She exhaled a deep breath, awaiting any sign of attack. Nothing happened, but the ship stayed.

"I think so. I hope so."

Meanwhile, on the ship, the behemoth was knocked out and had smashed through the top deck to the lower deck. The behemoth lied there, helpless. A man walked towards the hole, dropping down a piece of paper. It read:

Order; 20 slave children.

Recipient; Drangell Slave Market, World Government Auction House.

The man sighed, looking down at the behemoth. He turned his gaze towards the port town, a sneer coming to his face. His annoyance took over. Anger took over. He stepped into a small boat, all of his men now knocked out or dead. He flipped a hood on, sailing towards the dock. He didn't want to do this. But now he has to.

He continued to sail towards the port, landing and stepping off, now across from Hozuro and Luna. He stared them down as he pulled his hood into place, taking a step forward. His gaze met Hozuro, still happy about his victory. The man said nothing, made almost no noise. He climbed the slope, getting closer and closer. A serious aura waded off of him.

Luna and Hozuro watched this figure approach, ready for one last fight. The two took to their stances, both now able to focus their attention on this one man. The one who seemed to be commanding this whole operation. Luna spoke first.

"He isn't the captain I remember. The one I remember was short. It went along with his temper. This guy is too calm."

"Wait, the other two were from the crew before?"

"Yeah. But that doesn't make sense. Why wouldn't one of them become captain?"

"I don't know just get ready."

Hozuro took to his fighting stance, his two scimitars drawn. He exhaled a deep breath, refocusing himself on the fight to come. Luna seemed off though. Like something was wrong. She gave off an almost helpless vibe.

The man took a stance across from the two, looking towards the two. A deep breath was released from under the hood. Everything was quiet. Luna made no noise and simply stood there, terrified. Hozuro looked to Luna and became worried.

The man drew two guns, pointing them downwards and holding them out to his sides. The pistols were somewhat worn, but unique. The handles were made specifically for his hands, having a lot more curve. The barrels were long, allowing for more power in the gun. Another breath was exhaled before a breeze passed through and blew off his hood, revealing a gruff face. It was chiseled, a skin tone similar to Luna's on him. His hair was black and messy, kept back. Luna was frozen in place.

"No...it can't be."

"Luna? What is this?"

"Our death."

"What do you mean? Who is this guy?"

"It's. It's."

The man aimed one gun at each of them, tilting his head. He was obviously ready for this. He began to speak up, a gruff voice fit only for him coming through.

"I'm sad to have to do this Luna. My own daughter against me. How could you?"

_**~End of Chapter 4**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**~Chapter 5: The Fanged Bunnies Part 3; The Swift Legacy**_

"Well, Luna dear? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Luna sat there, mouth agape. She couldn't believe her eyes. First, the bunny pirates come to attack the town after years of everyone thinking they were disbanded. Then this. Her father being the captain of the crew. What was she gonna do? What could she do? Could she really fight her father?

"I'm waiting on an answer young lady. What makes you think you can stand here and be in my way? I don't want you hurt is all."

His left gun was aimed at her. His better hand. He wasn't underestimating her. She could tell. He had the hollow look in his eyes that he gets whenever he found a target. One that only spelled death and despair for whatever was in his view.

"Don't talk to your own daughter like that, you filthy low-life scum!"

That voice shocked her out of her trans. Hozuro. He was calling back to their enemy. Her dad. She looked at him and the determined eyes in his sockets. They were full of fire. Something that filled her with emotion. She felt safe. She felt confident. Tears welled up in her eyes as she screamed.

"How could you!? How could you betray everyone!?"

"I didn't betray anybody. You don't know anything Luna."

"Shut up!"

Luna was done with the games. She jumped into the air, catching her father off guard. She aimed straight down for a shot, firing. She missed as he slightly moved back, avoiding the bullet. He aimed up and looked through his little scope at her as she descended. Luna winced as she landed, her body still in pain from her fight before. In that moment, a shot rang out.

She was still for a moment, her eyes going wide. She placed her hand on her shoulder as a burning pain flared through her body. She looked at her hand covered in blood. He had shot her shoulder. Another shot flew and hit her knee. Then another. And another. All hitting her in a dew different spots before she dropped to the ground unconscious.

She landed with a thud, her father letting out a sigh. He turned to Hozuro, a stone cold face staring at Hozuro. He pointed both guns at Hozuro.

"See what you did son? Caused a family feud. Now my daughter is bleeding out."

"Quit acting like you care. You just shot her with no remorse. How dare you!"

Hozuro charged at him, fist reared for a punch. The man stepped around, letting Hozuro fly past before letting out a shot at his back, hitting him in his kidney. Hozuro winced before turning back and throwing a scimitar at her father, forcing him to dodge and immediately following it up by charging and going to slash him.

The scimitar missed like planned, allowing Hozuro to force away a gun and go for a close punch. The punch connected with his gut, sending him away and skidding onto the ground. He got up aiming his pistol once more. He began firing at Hozuro, looking to bring him down. Hozuro attempted to dodge around, but he was still getting grazed.

Hozuro jumped onto a rooftop, launching himself off of it and down towards him, looking to smash his head with a kick. Hozuro brought his leg down looking for a connection, but missed and smashed a dent into the ground after the man moved to the side. The man aimed his pistol going for another shot but was met with Hozuro taking it to his arm and tackling the man and forcing him into a wall.

Hozuro jumped back from the position, looking to see if the man is down. He waited for a sec as he held his injured arm. Then the rubble moved, the man climbing out of it and looking at Hozuro. The man was panting now.

"Boy. You don't know a damn thing. I have a reason for doing what I do. The World Government doesn't like people who say no. Or get in the way for that matter."

"What are you talking about?"

"I did what I did and do what I do to keep her safe. If you pay attention, she isn't dead. I care about my daughter. And I won't let a rotten piece of sushi get her caught up in something that shouldn't involve her."

The man aimed his fist before revealing a gauntlet like Luna's from under his long sleeve. He fired a shot that his Hozuro right in his left shoulder, and began to aim another, causing Hozuro to jump up and onto a rooftop out of the way.

The man was able to fire another, a grappling hook shooting out of the gauntlet and aiming for Hozuro's leg. Hozuro saw it and moved out of the way, but another came at him. Then the other. And the first. And the second. The man was looking to grab Hozuro, not giving him a second.

"You're a good fighter. That's for certain. Sad that now I have to kill you to protect my daughter. I can't let you ruin everything I've done."

As he said this, Hozuro charged at him, catching him off guard. He readied his arms by crossing them across his torso, claws directed towards the opponent. He fell towards him and slashed as he got close, a grappling hook grazing his arm.

"Red Claw!"

The slash cut along his body, causing severe damage. He screamed as he fell to the ground, defeated. Hozuro stood above him, breathing deeply. Hozuro then ran to Luna, seeing a mysterious ship off to the side. He shook off his worry as he picked her up, making sure she was okay.

"Luna! Luna! Tell me you're alright. Please!"

She opened her eyes, seeing Hozuro and then looking at the battlefield before seeing her dad down for the count. She looked back to Hozuro in awe.

"You did it?"

"Yeah. It's over. We won."

Luna's eyes welled up with tears. They had done it. She couldn't believe it. She stood, wincing as Hozuro helped her. They walked back towards the church, only to find it empty and ransacked. All of the kids were missing. Every last one. A piece of paper was left on the ground that Luna picked up. On it, was the order for child slaves from the World Government. Luna's eyes widened in shock. Tears formed once more as she fell to the ground.

"Luna. We'll get them back. I promise."

She looked up at Hozuro nodding. She vowed to get those kids back. One day. Somehow.

The next day they were on a small boat together, heading out to sea on their way to the next island. A new adventure had begun.

_**~End of Chapter 5**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6- Welcome to Corruption Island**_

Hozuro and Luna had been sailing for a couple days, having been gifted a small merchant vessel for saving the island. It was just big enough for them and enough cargo to get to whatever island was next. They were getting to know each other a bit better after the whole Fanged Bunnies situation. They seemed like they'd get along fine, as their personalities seemed to align well. The whole fiasco had really messed Luna up with her father and her thoughts on him though, and Hozuro could see that and understood that he was going to have to give her time. She had a lot to work through.

Eventually, the two landed on another island. They stepped into the port town, seeing that it was almost empty. Both were curious about this, as the town was large with a lot of stalls, but most seemed almost barren. Luna investigated around before being stopped at the beginning of the dock. A marine spoke from a guard house, calling to Luna.

"Halt! You are entering the port town of Giri on Hiliko Island which is under the protection of marine unit 9483 under command of Captain Granden. As per command of Captain Granden, you are required to pay a toll of 20,000,000 berries per person before entering the town for a pass to explore the town only. If you wish to leave and explore the entire island that'll be an extra 50,000,000 berries."

Luna sat there for a moment, caught in disbelief. She stared at the soldier, not able to process what he truly said. She turned further towards him and asked him a simple question.

"Can you repeat those prices?"

"20,000,000 or 50,000,000 berries."

Hozuro walked forward, stepping right in front of the guard house and the man. He sized him up, looking up and down at him. Hozuro stroked his chin, unsure of what to do. Then Luna flew from behind Hozuro, sending a kick at the marine. The kick smashed his head into the wood wall behind him, knocking him out.

"Trying to extort money out of me. Screw that."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST DO!?"

Hozuro screamed at Luna as she did that, beginning to freak out that they attacked a marine. That's something only pirates would do. He began to look around, darting his gaze before seeing a small kid cheering, happy to see the marines taken down. He stopped, looking at her. She began to speak.

"Yay! Take down those bad men! They don't deserve to be called marines!"

Luna looked over as well, curious. The kid was something to behold. They both walked over to the young girl and began to ask her some questions. Hozuro spoke first.

"What do you mean? What do they do that's bad?"

The little girl looked up at them, tears in her eyes. She began to point out at everything behind her, how it was all empty.

"Those bad men made everything empty. They force people to pay high prices to get in, so we can't support ourselves. Now we're forced to rely on those bad men. They're the only way we can eat and live. I hate it. I hit one and now I only get a small meal a day. I hate it."

Hozuro stood in disbelief. That was horrible. He looked at the little girl and asked a singular simple question.

"Where is the marine base."

A frail looking man ran up and grabbed the girl, slapping her and beginning to scold her for helping what he called pirates. Hozuro ran up and almost attacked before another man stopped him, one with large muscles and some white gi pants on. He put his arm in front and nodded to Hozuro as he walked over and stopped the man. He helped the little girl down, giving them both hugs before they ran inside.

"Who are you?"

Hozuro called out to the man, trying to speak. However it was to no avail. The man walked off and into a forest past town. He was certainly mysterious. But even more mysterious was a note left on the ground saying that the Captain would show up in 2 hours.

So Hozuro waited. And waited. And waited. Then, after a while, a large fat man with a marine coat and a huge slab of meat on a stick walked into town. He had a dumb smile on his face and long greasy hair coming off of his skull. He began calling out to the residents of the town.

"Tax time people! Time to pay your hourly taxes to keep the marines running. Just throw your money into the street and no one gets hurt."

Money was being thrown from windows, doors, and alleys. Everyone seemed scared. Hozuro stood, staring down the man as he noticed the fishman. His smile left as he hadn't received money for visitors yet.

"Who are you!? My sushi I ordered a year ago!?"

Hozuro was about to charge before seeing something wrong. The Captain looked down and saw a little girl slapping his leg. The one who was cheering Hozuro and Luna. He smiled before taking a deep breath and burping, letting out a green gas that encompassed the girl that caused her to pass out.

The marines gathered up the money and began to leave along with the Captain without saying a word,the Captain just laughing. Everyone soon ran out and surrounded the little child crying. Hozuro ran over to check on her, and he saw her gasping for air, poisoned. One of the villagers spoke up, looking at Hozuro.

"Take her to the hermit who lives in the forest. He has the antidote."

Hozuro nodded, lifting her and beginning to walk to the forest. He turned back towards Luna, gesturing for her to follow.

"Come on Luna. We got some stuff to take care of."

Luna followed immediately, now curious about what's going on exactly. The fact that the marine could do that with a burp is terrifying. What did they get themselves into?

_**~End of Chapter 6**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7- The Fish and the Hermit**_

Hozuro ran as fast as he could, Luna barely able to keep up. He held the child tight in his arms as he darted through the woods, his eyes scanning over everything they passed. He searched for the grotto he had been told about. The moments seemed to drag on and on, turning what should have been seconds into an eternity.

The girl continued to gasp for air, coughing onto Hozuro's shoulder as he ran. Some blood trickled out of her mouth and onto Hozuro's skin, blending in with his crimson scales. It began to fall down his arm and drip off of his elbows. He began to speed up, trying with all of his might to find this grotto.

_No. No. I can't let this happen to her. I just can't. She's only a child._

Luna would call out from a bit to the East. Hozuro would turn and see her by a green pond, behind which was a surprisingly large grotto. Hozuro would dart over and run inside, being greeted by the large hulking man from town earlier. His shirt was off, showing his upper body. He was definitely ripped, muscles covering his body. On his left side there was a scar, one that looked like a bullet wound. In the corner behind him, there was a long bo staff.

He sat on a flat surfaced rock, seemingly meditating. His eyes were shut tight. He perked up once Hozuro and Luna stepped forward, opening his eyes to see them. He took one look at the girl and shook his head. He began to gather some of the herbs he had around and mixed them in a bowl.

"So, Fishman, what are you and the woman doing here?"

Hozuro was taken aback. He hadn't expected the hermit to begin asking questions. Plus, his voice was surprisingly mid range for being bigger. Hozuro scanned him some more before responding.

"Luna and I are bounty hunters and we had only meant to stop by and get supplies."

"You picked the wrong island to stop at my friend. Captain Granden is not one to just allow people to give out resources he could be using for himself."

"I noticed. Why is someone like that even a marine? Shouldn't they stand for justice?"

"Not all do. Since marine bases are generally left to run themselves in the blues, it's the perfect place for someone like him to act like a king. That's just how it is. I tried fighting, but I had no support, so I gave up."

The hermit had finished the mixture and went to the girl. He sighed as he opened her mouth and began to tilt the bowl in, allowing the mixture to fall in. She began to cough, but she began to stop gasping for air and instead began to snore. He took her and laid her down on the rock he had been sitting on.

"She's the only one who tries to fight back. This happens once a week now. You would think she's become immune, but sadly not. Instead, she keeps attacking him whenever he shows up and gets poisoned."

Hozuro watched as she laid down, resting peacefully. Luna stepped forward and began to ask questions.

"How long has he been around."

"He took over about five years ago. The marine in charge before him was Captain Vince. However, Vince died five years ago while on a regular patrol. Granden took over after that and began establishing all of these rules and regulations. A few months after that was when I fought, and soon after my defeat was outcasted for going against the marines."

"I see. Maybe we can-"

"Where is it?" Hozuro would interrupt. His fist was clenched tight, his eyes determined. The hermit looked up, surprised.

"You don't want to do that. Even if you win, you'll make an enemy of the marines. And I'm sure that would hinder business for a bounty hunter."

"I don't care. No one deserves this treatment. Now, where is it?"

Luna would chime in. She was stricken with worry. "Hozuro, he said don't. This is horrible, but we can't do anything about-"

"About five miles east. It's a separate port and you could possibly ambush through the woods."

Hozuro simply nodded, darting away and off to the base. Luna was shocked. The hermit just told him the information, even with the warning. "Why?"

"I can't stop him. He would just search anyways. So I gave him the best chance and allowed him to conserve his energy. You might want to go along since you're definitely more rational. Keep him from getting too beaten up."

"Alright. Hopefully I can catch up."

Luna would run off after Hozuro, attempting to catch up. The hermit watched as they ran, sighing. He grabbed his bo staff, looking at it. He stared deep at the dark wood. His mind went back to that day.

The fat man had rolled into town, a large piece of meat on a bone. He laughed as the marines under the newly promoted captain's command robbed the people and he declared hourly taxes. Everyone was scared since, well, he was a marine. Going against them was a death sentence.

One fought though. A man who was always in the background, had kept to himself. Not one to be in the spotlight. He stood up, a lanky 7 foot man with not much combat training, nor even a weapon. He tried fighting, getting beaten near to death by a whole squad of marines and the insane physical power of Granden. Soon after, he had been sent off into the woods, no longer allowed in the village.

The girl then suddenly sat up, eyes still red, her voice groggy. The hermit ran over, attempting to get her to lay back down, but she refused. Looking him in the eyes.

"Please help them. You have to. You're stronger than before. I know you can do it Mr. Hermit."

He sighed as he looked back into the woods, unable to see the two anymore. His hold on his bo staff tightened as he shook his head. _Idiots._

**_~End of Chapter_****_ 7_**


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